Novartis (NIBR) Postbaccalaureate Research Internship & Mentoring (PRISM) Program Internships
Gateways to Graduate School
The Postbaccalaureate Research InternShip & Mentoring (PRISM) Program is an intensive 2-year research and professional development experience at NIBR (Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research) in Cambridge, Massachusetts or Emeryville, California. A NIBR Postbaccalaureate Internship is a unique opportunity for recent college graduates who are motivated to pursue a professional career in biomedical research. While at NIBR, you will spend 2 years conducting an independent research project under the guidance of scientific experts and other professionals in an internationally renowned industry environment. This program is dedicated to providing research training opportunities for highly talented students from historically underserved communities and increasing their competitiveness for top-tier biomedical graduate degree programs.
Program highlights
As a PRISM Intern, you will work on your own project with the guidance of a NIBR scientist as well as participate in professional development and social activities. This program includes the following elements:
- Scientific excellence: performing innovative and interdisciplinary basic research to deepen your understanding of scientific concepts.
- Scientific communication: sharing your research at local seminars and national conferences; evaluating scientific articles in a fun and interactive setting, training not only in presentation skills but skills on active listening and learning methodologies to be able approach projects and meetings alike as a more efficient scientist and team member.
- Professional development: engaging in a robust curriculum that includes career panels, seminar series, personal development workshops, graduate/professional school preparations; and participating in a thriving community of scholars, post-docs, and mentors.
- Academic partnerships: fostering collegial interactions with partner institutions and at welcome & farewell events; enrolling in foundational coursework and working with an external faculty advisor at a prestigious local university.
Pay
This is a fully paid research opportunity with benefits (health insurance, vacation, and sick days included). Pay is competitive with local first-year graduate student stipends.
Housing and travel: Housing assistance for 30 days, as well as initial travel to the research site, will be provided for students living greater than 50 miles away from a research site. Students with a local permanent address will not qualify for assistance.
Locations: NIBR PRISM Internships are available at our research headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts and at our Emeryville, California site.
Eligibility
This program is dedicated to providing research training opportunities for highly talented students from historically underserved communities. First-generation college students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, individuals with learning differences, and/or under-represented minorities in the sciences and who meet the criteria indicated below are eligible to apply to this program.
- Students who will be completing their undergraduate studies (in biological sciences, chemistry, computational sciences, biomedical engineering, or pharmacology) prior to the start of the program.
- Individuals within one year of completing their bachelor's degree.
- Students and recent graduates should have a strong desire to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD in the biological sciences, chemistry, computational sciences, or other related biomedical field
- Candidates should have a GPA of at least 3.3 out of a 4.0 scale.
- Applicants must attend a university in a US state or territory and be eligible to work in the United States.
Students who are already enrolled in Ph.D., Master’s, PharmD, or M.D. programs are not eligible for this program nor are students who already have obtained these advanced degrees.
Application process
Deadlines
Application Deadline - January 31, 2023
Finalist Notifications - April/May 2023
Start Date- August 2023
Program Length- 2 years
Online application
To apply, you must use the link to the application portal (Do not apply through Handshake).
Please note that this online application process requires uploading a Cover Letter, Personal Statement, Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume, and an official transcript from your academic institution. In addition, you will need to request 1-3 letters of reference; a link will be available within your application to share with your references for them to upload their letters directly to your application. All documents uploaded must use the pdf file format.
All application materials must be received by the deadline indicated in the application portal.
The Handshake green apply externally button will take you to our main internship page: https://www.novartis.com/careers/early-talent/us-nibr-internship-programs
At the bottom of the Gateways to Graduate School section is the link to the application portal to begin the application process. You will have the opportunity to select one or more areas of interest in the online application.
All applicants will receive an automated email notification that their application has been received. Finalists will be contacted according to the timeline indicated above.
Interviews
Selected candidates will have an initial pre-screening phone interview with a member of the PRISM Program team. The second interview stage includes a virtual visit during which the candidate meets with potential mentors, current Postbaccalaureate interns, and the PRISM Program team. This second interview stage will determine our final selection of interns and mentor/intern matches.
For questions regarding the NIBR Postbaccalaureate InternShip & Mentoring (PRISM) Program, please contact us at: future.talent@novartis.com. Note, we are not able to accept or respond to applications sent by email.